imported post
Be prepared though.
At the Grants Pass town hall meeting I was CCing and talking with a 26 year cop on the GPPD. It wasn't clear if he'd been GPPD the entire 26 years but he made two statements to my direct questionsthat should be kept in mind.
1) That if someone is OCing in GP that the PD will more than likely make contact with them to check them out.
2) That a lot of hunters get into trouble because they are stopped by the PD and have a round in the chamber of their hunting weapon that's covered up in the back seat.
Now #1 has the potential for a civil rights violation if they are aggressive, don't recongnize the OCers right to not be detained for a legal activity, etc. On the other hand, if an OCer declines to consent to a non RAS detention and they don't force it, it could be just fine. While we'd all love to not be approached by LE for carrying, it's still not common enough to cause LE to turn a blind eye. It's how they conduct themselves when approaching a legal, legally savvy, OCer that will count.
#2 is downright WRONG and I told him so (nicely). At the time I wasn't carrying the ORS with me at all times so I couldn't show him but neither could he give me a reference. Suffice it to say that there is no ORS which prohibits the carrying of a loaded long gun in a vehicle whether concealled or not.
I'd cite the reference but you can't cite a reference that does not exist. No law for or against means LEGAL. The best I can do is point you to ORS 166.250 (1) & (1) (a) & (1) (b).
(1) (a)makes it unlawful to carry anyfirearm concealled UPON THE PERSON (so it doesn't applyin the case of a long gun in a vehicle).
(1) (b) Addresses HANDGUNS concealed and readily accessible in a vehicle. However, it does not prohibit long guns being loaded and concealed, ONLY HAND GUNS.
This is one reason I now carry a copy of all ORS relating to firearms, audio recording, menacing (we don't have a "brandishing" ORS), and trespassing with me at all times when I am carrying a firearm.
One thing to keep in mind is that Grants Pass uses Police to do some fire duties and conversely, firemen to do some police duties. If you happen to come across a fireman acting as a police officer you probably aren't going to have someone who knows the law at all. Not knocking them, just saying that dedicated police have a hard enough time keeping up with the law. Hopefully they all know their limitations and work well together as I'm sure is the plan.